Daily Archives: October 23, 2014

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John wants to know, how you are dealing with drinking water. Where do you get it and how are you carrying it?

It’s odd just this morning I was thinking about my drinking water. One of the great things about the camino is the great infrastructure in place to support the pilgrims. I have gone for 35 days carrying from 1/2 liter to 1.5 liters of water. All along the way are fuentes (fountains). Each town and village has them. Some are simple spigots others are elaborate structures. Depending on the heat, length between villages etc I fill my Fanta bottle (1/2 liter) and Evian bottle (1 liter) appropriately. It has all worked out great.

Kathleen asked me:

Your map shows you closing in on Santiago, are you excited or sad that the trek is winding down.

It’s interesting while for 35 days Santiago has been the destination, as I approach its importance seems to diminish. While I hope the arrival at the cathedral and going to the pilgrims office for the Compostela will be exciting, I’ve started feeling like Santiago will be another large city like Burgos and Leon. I think I’ll like enjoy it. I hope to see some pilgrims I hadn’t seen for a while. I’ll get a private room and I’ll eat some good food but the camino will continue (just like In Leon and Burgos). My plan is to get to Santiago Sunday, tour on Monday then head out. I’ll go first to Muxia, a quiet small rural town on the coast. Then head to Finistere. Here is where I think the camino will end. The end of the earth.

We’ll see.

Today I crossed paths with the pilgrims from San Marino. As I walked along I heard from ahead (in a heavy Italian accent), hey Texas!! It was the couple I’d shared a table with. Their names are Marco and Claudia. Marco (younger than me) was walking slowly, but smiling. He said he was sore. He had a big pack but it wasn’t strapped around his waist. I tried to tell him but he seemed happy as he was. I don’t think they are staying in Albergues because he talked about the hydrotherapy he’d had last night and the pool where he stayed. It was 10:00a.m. and they’d only made a few km. They said they were going about 28km, a long day. I hope the make it. Maybe I’ll see them tomorrow.

I stayed in a nice Albergue tonight and had the luxury of doing all my laundry, even my bed liner. The little things are so nice. The crazy bedbug lady with the issues showed up. I’ve learned she lives in Mexico with her Mexican husband growing coffee. She is unhappy because she thought she’d be able to open a B&B and visit with people. I kept it to myself that a B&B in northern Mexico might not be a big tourist draw at this time. She keeps asking where I’m going next. She may be my first camino stalker. Hopefully you’ll hear from me tomorrow.